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Hong Kong ace enters BaaBaas fray

Wed, 29 May 2013 15:58

The Barbarians gave Rowan Varty a late call-up to face the British and Irish Lions on Wednesday after initially leaving out their only player from hosts Hong Kong.

Hours after the original team had been announced, a new version was released bracketing Varty alongside Mike Tindall as an unorthodox extra replacement for Saturday's game at Hong Kong Stadium.

"A late change to the Barbarians team for Saturday's match has Hong Kong's Rowan Varty bracketed with Mike Tindall," a press release said, with Varty's name alongside Tindall's on the list of replacements.

A tweet from the Barbarians camp explained that former England captain Tindall, who led the all-star side last week, was an injury doubt.

Saturday's game at Hong Kong Stadium is the first ever in Asia for the Lions, a composite team whose tours date back to 1888, and another step forwards for rugby in the region.

Hong Kong, home of the famous annual Sevens tournament, has also hosted Bledisloe Cup matches between Australia and New Zealand, while Japan will be the venue for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.